In what might be the bureaucratic version of a mic drop, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum casually shrugged off Utah Senator Mike Lee’s push to sell off public lands as part of Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
The proposal, which would’ve opened the door to selling off millions of acres of federal land, has stirred up a hornet’s nest of backlash. And after nearly a week of critics sounding the alarm like a bear bell on a crowded trail, Burgum offered what amounted to a verbal yawn during an interview yesterday with Scripps News.
“It wasn’t part of the core original bill… I don’t think anyone is really spending much time thinking about it up there,” Burgum said, politely tossing Lee’s plan in the recycling bin.
Ouch.
Even though the Senate’s own policy referee (a.k.a. the parliamentarian) already gave the land sale idea the boot earlier in the week, Lee insists he’s not done. He blamed a “massive misinformation campaign” for the public outrage and said revisions are coming. Stay tuned for One Big Beautiful Walkback?
Burgum did concede that selling small bits of federally owned land near urban areas might make sense someday, but emphasized that Trump never asked for it and it wasn’t part of the game plan.
“It doesn’t matter to me at all if it’s part of this bill,” Burgum said, likely while mentally booking a fly fishing trip instead.
What This Means for Wyoming
For us in Wyoming, especially those who recreate, ranch, or just breathe near public lands, we can take a cautious sigh of relief. For now, it seems the idea of selling off swaths of public land is not a front-burner issue for the Trump camp or the Department of the Interior.
Still, with Lee vowing to revise and relaunch, the issue may not be fully buried yet. But judging by Burgum’s body language, it might be headed for political purgatory.
📌 ICYMI: Last week, the Senate effectively sidelined the land sale idea thanks to a procedural ruling. This week, the Trump administration is politely ignoring it. Maybe next week we can all go back to arguing about national park reservations and bison selfies.
AntlersArch founder and the voice behind Teton Tattle.
